The moment I heard the message that I had advanced in rank.
My vision grew hazy.
“Ha. Life.”
It had been four years since I first attempted the assessment.
They said that even Hunters with little talent could advance within a year if they worked steadily after Awakening.
It had taken me four times as long as others.
Even so.
The real beginning was now.
【You can become the strongest in the world.】
“Because I have you, Sir?”
【That is correct.】
Sir Isra thumped its chest with its hand.
【Who do you think I am?】
“The self-proclaimed greatest swordsman on the continent.”
【Correct! With Isra by your side, becoming the strongest in the world is only natural!】
An Otherworldly Soul settled within a zombie.
If it had not been Isra, I would not have passed the assessment with the highest rank.
What if.
After Sir Isra, I found another Otherworldly Soul?
What if I settled that soul within an Undead and inherited its talent as well...?
How much stronger could I become?
The strongest in the world?
It was something Sir Isra had mentioned right after I took it in.
But the thought that it might not be an empty fantasy crossed my mind.
[A skill has been added as a Rank Advancement Reward.]
[Bone Metallurgy has been added.]
[Spiritual Energy Circuit Engraving has been added.]
[Bone Metallurgy]
Rank: D
Classification: Active
Proficiency: 0%
Refines bones into items.
When the skill is activated, bones become like metal and will not break even when heat is applied.
*Growth-Type Skill.
[Spiritual Energy Circuit Engraving]
Rank: D
Classification: Active
Proficiency: 0
Engraves a circuit through which Spiritual Energy flows in a designated location.
Upon advancement, two skills of the appropriate rank were awarded as rewards.
I slowly read the skill descriptions.
“Ha.”
【Is there a problem?】
“No. They are too good.”
The heavy breath I exhaled was not lamentation, but admiration.
The first thing that caught my eye was the “Growth-Type” option.
—Proficiency increases three times more slowly than with ordinary skills.
—When Proficiency reaches 100%, the skill’s rank increases.
—However, skill growth cannot exceed the user’s rank.
—At certain ranks, further enlightenment may be required.
The advantage was that the skills continued to grow, in exchange for their Proficiency rising more slowly.
However, they could only grow as high as the Hunter’s rank.
The final condition did not mean much to me yet, so I passed over it.
【Come to think of it, all your skills are Growth-Type skills.】
[Corpse Crafting] and [Corpse Processing].
Both were Growth-Type skills, but they had been blocked by the wall of rank.
[Corpse Crafting’s rank has increased to D-rank.]
[You can now create a wider variety of Undead.]
[Corpse Processing’s rank has increased to D-rank.]
[You can now handle byproducts from C-rank monsters without penalty.]
Finally.
The two Growth-Type skills that had not changed even after reaching 100% Proficiency had improved.
I could create more kinds of Undead.
And handle a wider range of byproducts.
“Phew.”
I calmed my boiling emotions with a long breath.
Still.
One more reward remained.
[Spirit Sight has been granted as an additional reward.]
[Death Domain has been learned as an additional reward.]
The first ability I checked was Spirit Sight.
[Spirit Sight]
Rank: S
Classification: Passive
Reads a corpse’s potential and the flow of Mana with your eyes.
An S-rank?!
“Uuuuuuuuh!”
【Have you finally given up on being human?】
I pretended not to hear.
This time, I had decided to enjoy my happiness fully.
Only after letting out sounds that were neither screams nor cries of joy for quite some time did I calm down.
“Phew.”
【What did you obtain that surprised you so much?】
“An S-rank skill.”
【It is nothing special.】
“Sir, do you know that you are extremely annoying?”
A Skillbook containing an S-rank skill was Epic-rank.
Epic-rank items started at ten billion won.
I had heard rumors that the additional rewards from Rank Advancement Assessments were remarkable.
But experiencing it directly exceeded my expectations.
【Tell me what this incredible ability is.】
“Spirit Sight. It says I can read corpse information and Mana flow.”
It was not an ability whose effects I could immediately feel.
All I could do was vaguely assume it had to be good because it was S-rank.
【O-Ohhh!!! That is incredible!】
“Why are you more excited than I am?”
【It seems like an ability that will work very well with the Heavenly Martial Physique.】
“It is an eye-based skill. What does it have to do with the Heavenly Martial Physique?”
【To advance to higher realms, one’s energy and body must become one.】
The unity of essence, energy, and spirit.
If I unified the movement of Mana and muscle through the Heavenly Martial Physique and Spirit Sight...
【Your training efficiency will improve even further.】
“Oh. Is that so?”
It was impressive.
But I was not sure whether it was impressive enough for such an overreaction.
【Do you believe it will only help with swordsmanship training? If you can read the timing at which Mana is released, you can read your opponent’s intentions.】
It said that if I combined the Heavenly Martial Physique’s senses with eyes that could read Mana, it would practically be like seeing the future.
“Yes, yes. That is very impressive.”
【You do not believe me?】
“Precognition is a little excessive, is it not?”
【Hmph. You will understand my words soon enough.】
Let us assume Sir Isra was correct.
Spirit Sight, an S-rank skill, was certainly amazing.
However, [Death Domain] was also extremely useful to me.
[Death Domain]
Rank: D
Classification: Passive
A pocket dimension that stores the dead and corpses.
—Storable Corpses: 0/10
*Growth-Type Skill.
“Congratulations. You have escaped your life in the carrier.”
【This is something to celebrate?】
“If you dislike it, you can continue being treated as luggage.”
I tapped the carrier with my foot.
【Wonderful! I like it very much.】
Sir Isra’s head bobbed up and down vigorously.
When I deployed Death Domain, my shadow stretched out.
【Do I enter here?】
The moment Sir Isra stepped into the elongated darkness, its body sank into it.
[Death Domain]
[Storable Corpses: 1/10]
Although I had stored Sir Isra in the shadow, it did not feel heavy.
The maximum number I could store was ten corpses.
I could store hunted monsters whole.
Or keep prepared Undead inside the shadow and take them out whenever needed.
【It is quite cozy.】
“You can still speak?”
【I even share your vision.】
Wow.
Sir Isra could now see as much of the outside world as it wanted.
“Take a good look at what another world is like.”
【Hahaha! I look forward to it!】
The Rank Advancement Assessment was over.
I returned in the direction from which I had entered and pushed against the door.
CREEEAK—
A beam of light revealed the scenery of Yeouido.
The moment I stepped through the open door.
“Find Hunter Park Minho!”
“Who is he?”
“We have to find him first!”
Busy people came into view.
What was this atmosphere?
***
The tenth day of every month was the noisiest day in the Hunter industry.
Rank Advancement Assessments were held at the Tower of Ascension.
The results were made public through information terminals attached throughout the tower.
“How many A-ranks or higher will there be this time?”
“Lee Seonga of Mir Guild is here, so one S-rank is guaranteed.”
Even within the same class.
The performance of additional skills received differed slightly according to assessment results.
From A-rank onward, Hunters also received additional skills.
These granted rare abilities that could not be obtained from ordinary Skillbooks.
That was why guild headhunters gathered at the Tower of Ascension every tenth day of the month.
“Did Lee Seonga not receive A+ last time?”
“That is why she is attempting it again.”
“So there is a reason Mir Guild is supporting her as a promising newcomer.”
Even after passing a Rank Advancement Assessment.
A person could choose not to advance and attempt it again in the next round.
That was why some people gave up a month of time to obtain greater rewards.
Lee Seonga was one of those cases.
“They are one of Korea’s five major guilds. They really are different.”
“We need to find a good Hunter too.”
“We are just guests at a feast prepared by Mir Guild.”
The representatives from the various guilds grumbled, yet did not take their eyes off the terminals.
They did not even look at C-rank results or lower.
If someone suddenly showed promise at that stage.
It was stranger for them not to already belong to an organization.
What the headhunters mainly watched were D-rank Rank Advancement Assessments.
They were determined to catch even one Hunter with a promising future.
Then.
“Huh?”
One guild representative let out a dumbfounded sound.
[E-rank Hunter Park Minho has received an S-rank result in the Rank Advancement Assessment.]
[Hunter Park Minho will receive an additional skill.]
Starting with the guild representative who had first uttered a confused sound.
“S-rank?”
“This is insane.”
“It is not Lee Seonga. It is another Hunter!”
In less than ten seconds, the area around the Tower of Ascension became noisy.
They had thought this recruitment war would only mean taking a share of the feast prepared by Mir Guild.
It was not.
The real gem was someone else.
The guild representatives became excited.
The fact that he was low-rank?
It did not matter.
It was even better.
“Why would we not buy a lottery ticket that could hit the jackpot if scratched?”
“Was his name Park Minho?”
“We must recruit him for our guild.”
What his class was.
And how he had received an S-rank result.
Those were secondary matters.
The Tower of Ascension had a larger footprint than the 63 Building.
Since it had several entrance routes, no one knew where the Hunter who had passed with an S-rank would emerge.
“Let us make rounds.”
“Will a windfall come to us if we stand still?”
If they could sign a contract with Minho, who had just finished his assessment and emerged outside.
They would receive a performance bonus without question.
A promotion would be guaranteed as well.
It went without saying that the guild they belonged to would develop further.
No matter what.
They had to find Minho and make him stamp a guild application.
“Heh heh. Everyone is causing a commotion because of our newcomer.”
The Mir Guild members stood with their hands behind their backs, leisurely watching representatives from other guilds create a fuss.
They had not considered, even for a moment.
That someone other than Lee Seonga would receive an S-rank.
‘We have been setting the stage for this since a week ago.’
‘We arranged everything to make Hunter Lee Seonga stand out as much as possible.’
They had invited every reporter affiliated with Mir Guild to the Tower of Ascension.
Lee Seonga’s class was Creator, an Irregular.
Ninety-nine percent of Hunters received one of four classes: Warrior, Archer, Mage, or Supporter.
The remaining one percent were called Irregulars.
Among them, Creators were both extremely rare and powerful.
Marie, one of the Twelve Stars spoken of as the strongest in the world, was a Creator.
The army she had crafted from jewels had a reputation as a one-person army that surpassed even Necromancers.
“Everyone, prepare well to make Miss Lee Seonga shine.”
“Um, Team Leader. The atmosphere is a little strange.”
A Mir Guild employee cautiously spoke up.
“It seems that someone else received the S-rank result in the assessment.”
“What?”
“They are saying it is someone named Park Minho.”
The chief person in charge of Mir Guild turned red.
“Why are you only telling me something this important now?”
“W-What should we do?”
“What else can we do? Tell the reporters to step aside for the moment and wait until our newcomer emerges...”
Just as the Mir Guild representative hurriedly tried to give orders.
“It is not Lee Seonga.”
“Park Minho?”
“Find him quickly.”
“We should start by searching the major guilds.”
The reporters waiting nearby sensed the smell of a scoop and began searching.